There are a lot of other systems out there other than Linux, so if you have a file from, let’s say a DOS system, with extra ^M (caret M) characters at the end, you can correct it using vi. The tough part is, you will not be able to see these extra characters immediately, unless you encounter something like this:

See the ^M character at the end? It is called the DOS line break. Unfortunately, Linux is not able to recognize these line breaks so you have to delete them. With vim. Yes, with vim, or with any editor you want, but in this post, I will show how to do it in vi.

First, open up your file where there is an extra ^M characters. While in command mode, type the following:

:%s/^V^M//g

The ^V is a CONTROL+V character and ^M is a CONTROL+M. When you type this, it will look like this:

:%s/^M//g

This command searches for ^M character (the CONTROL+V escapes a control character) the replaces it with null. After doing this, save and exit.

Another way to fix this is to use the dos2unix command like so:

$ dos2unix [file]

This might work, but I have not tried yet. Have you tried using dos2unix? Did it work? Let me know in the comments section.

If you access your Linux machines from a Windows workstations by SSH, most probably you are using PuTTY. My new job requires me to work with SUSE Enterprise servers and to my surprise, the VIM on SLES is somewhat different from that of RHEL.

One example is the backspace key. It just won’t work in PuTTY connecting to SUSE server. I have to put the cursor before the character I want to delete and press the DELETE key. If you have this issue with PuTTY/SUSE too, this tip might help you.

Please, everyone settle down. I am not starting a flame thread here but I would like you to read these ten reasons why Linux will stomp over Windows’s head. TechRepublic writes:

I have an announcement. The error of Microsoft’s ways is finally catching up and will cause the once-invincible juggernaut to kneel before that which is Linux. How is this? Microsoft started a tiny snowball when it released Windows Me. That snowball did nothing but gain momentum. There have been ups and downs along the way (XP being an up, for sure). But for the most part, the court of public opinion has steady lost faith in what once was considered the heart of personal computing.

If you don’t believe me, read on.

1. Inconsistent Windows releases

One of the things you can always count on from Microsoft is that you can’t count on its new operating systems to be reliable. Let’s take a look at the individual releases:

* Windows 95: Revolutionized personal computing.
* Windows 98: Attempted to improve on Windows 95; failed miserably.
* Windows Me: A joke, plain and simple.
* Windows NT: Attempted to bring enterprise-level seriousness to the operating system; would have succeeded had it not taken Steven Hawking-like intelligence to get it working.
* Windows XP: Brought life back to the failing Windows operating system. It hadn’t been since Windows 95 that the operating system was this simple.
* Windows Vista: See Windows Me.

With this in mind, what do we expect from Windows 7? Myself, not much.

2. Consistent Linux releases

Converse to number 1, you have the far more consistent releases of the various Linux distributions. Yes, there have been a few dips along the way (Fedora 9 being one of them). But for the most part, the climb for Linux has been steadily upward. Nearly every Linux distribution has improved with age. And this improvement isn’t limited to the kernel. Look at how desktops, end-user software, servers, security, admin tools, etc., have all improved over time. Once could easily argue that KDE 4 is an example of a sharp decrease in improvement. However, if you look at how quickly KDE 4 has improved from 4.0 to 4.3 you can see nothing but gains. This holds true with applications and systems across the board with Linux.

Firefox 3 had a successful launch, even breaking Guinness World Records for most software downloaded in 24 hours. But not all people have opted to replace their existing Firefox 2 installation for various reasons. According to Mozilla Blog, 20% of users in the Philippines are still on Firefox 2, along with other countries like Indonesia, Columbia and India.

There could be a few reasons why users are reluctant to switch to Firefox 3. One is the compatibility of the plugins they need. Not all plugins are updated and compatible with the latest version, and users in this category must be feeling that they need to upgrade but cannot, at least not until the new version of their plugin is available for FF3.

Hardware compatibility must also play a role in this which are common for any new software released. Users must have downloaded, tried and then removed FF3 because of its effects to the computer’s performance. Although FF3 promises smaller memory footprint, users who feel that the performance is the same with FF2, if not better, they are more likely to roll back to previous version.

Another issue here is users, especially non-techie ones, would rather stick to one that is “working just fine”. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Or those who can’t download Firefox 3 because fast internet connection is not available. Even user permissions play a role in restricting users in upgrading their browsers.

For some, the inevitable question still remains: Why should we upgrade to Firefox 3?

Despite hundreds of websites that have listed FF3′s features that are better compared to its predecessor, users are still having second thoughts about downloading and installing one. Some websites, TG Daily for example, have published FF3′s popular features. If you are looking for a beefy browser but still unsure why you should switch, a quick read on their posts should help you decide.

Whatever the reason is, Firefox 3 is continuously being developed and updated so users can have safer and faster browsing. I encourage users to try and switch to Firefox 3 and hopefully this time, you Firefox 3 will stay in your computer for good. I also encourage other Filipino bloggers to join in spreading the word about Firefox 3.